White Fang
by Jack London
Table of Contents
Part 3: Chapter 1 to Chapter 6
Part Three: Chapter One
Up until this part of his life, White Fang has not encountered men, and his first encounter with them is accidental. He runs to a stream to take a drink and then spots some nearby humans. He is frozen; though he does not recognize men for himself, he instinctually recognizes an animal that is superior to the other animals in the wild. One of the men attempts to pick him up, and he bites the offending hand, only to be clubbed in response. He hears his mother coming for him and believes that she will rescue him. However, one of the men, Grey Beaver, calls the name “Kiche,” and the she-wolf responds. Grey Beaver takes them back to the Indian village.
The other dogs in the Indian village are hostile to White Fang, but his masters protect him from their brutality. Eventually, White Fang is approached by an older puppy named Lip-lip. White Fang thinks that Lip-lip wants to be his friend, and allows him to approach. However, Lip-lip attacks White Fang, taking advantage of his injured shoulder. White Fang runs to Kiche for protection, but the reader sees the beginning of the intense rivalry between White Fang and Lip-lip.
As a wild animal, White Fang is ignorant of fire. The power of fire was demonstrated in the first section of the novel, in which only fire protected Henry from the wolves. White Fang touches fire and is injured, teaching him to avoid fire. Furthermore, he realizes that the men have the capability of creating the powerful fire. That is when he comes to view the men as gods. This understanding is important, because it helps explain White Fang’s obedience to humans who seem to do nothing to earn loyalty or devotion.
Part Three: Chapter Two
This chapter explores White Fang’s acclimation to the human environment. He learns how the humans control the dogs and why the dogs obey the humans. He sees the exchange of some forms of security, such as a more consistent food supply, as one of the reasons that the dogs forgo freedom. In fact, even after...
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